RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE SEVEN UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCES ON THE STANDARDIZATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1998 * * * * * * A. LISTED BY SUBJECT B. CROSS-REFERENCED BY CONFERENCE APPENDIX 1 – LIST OF UN REPORTS OF THE SEVEN CONFERENCES * * * * PREPARED FOR THE UNITED NATIONS BY THE GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES BOARD OF CANADA INTRODUCTION The seven United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names (convened in 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992 and 1998) have adopted 167 resolutions. Under the guidance of Max de Henseler, former Secretary of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), the resolutions of the first four conferences were grouped under general subject headings, and documented for the Fifth Conference held in Montréal in 1987. Following that conference, the Secretariat of the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names* compiled a compendium to include all the resolutions of the first five conferences; later a new edition, with resolutions added from the Sixth Conference was completed. Now, this current edition includes the 15 resolutions adopted at the Seventh Conference. To make this reference volume as useful as possible, the footnotes and references have been updated to facilitate consultation, and a table has been included to indicate under which subject heading each resolution is to be found. This computer file can again be updated following the Eighth Conference in 2002. In 1987, the considerable variation in scope, importance, and applicability of the resolutions was noted. Therefore, following the Fifth Conference, UNGEGN created a Working Group on Evaluation. Among its tasks was the evaluation of all resolutions from the perspective of their substantive effects on the state of geographical names standardization at national and international levels. The first edition of this document proved to be a useful tool for this Working Group. It is hoped that the current edition will be a valuable reference for all those involved in the work of UNGEGN and of the Eighth UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names. Helen Kerfoot Vice-Chair, UNGEGN 2001 * The Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names became the Geographical Names Board of Canada in March 2000. - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE A. RESOLUTIONS LISTED BY SUBJECT 1 1. UN CONFERENCES ON THE STANDARDIZATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES I/2 : Second United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names ................................................................................... 1 II/1 : Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names.......................................................................................................... 1 III/1 : Fourth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names ................................................................................... 2 III/24 : Use of the Arabic language as a working language at future United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names........ 2 IV/1 : Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names.......................................................................................................... 2 V/1 : Sixth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names.......................................................................................................... 3 V/7 : National reports........................................................................................... 3 V/8 : Reports of international organizations concerned with the standardization of geographical names................................................................................. 4 VI/6 : Seventh United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names ................................................................................... 4 VII/2 : Eighth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names and twentieth session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names%........................................................... 5 2. UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES I/1 : United Nations Permanent Committee of Experts on Geographical Names.......................................................................................................... 5 II/2 : Work of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names .... 6 II/3 : Name of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.... 6 II/4 : Linguistic/geographical divisions................................................................ 7 - ii - III/5 : Divisional activities and meetings............................................................... 7 III/26 : African linguistic/geographic divisions....................................................... 8 IV/21 : Commendation of the Work of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names ................................................................................... 8 IV/22 : Principles of activities and structure of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names ................................................................. 9 IV/23 : Statement of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names of aims and functions and its effect on Working Groups................ 9 IV/24 : Divisional activities..................................................................................... 10 IV/25 : Funding support of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names ................................................................................... 10 V/2 : Statute of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names .. 11 V/3 : Creation of a Celtic Division and an East Mediterranean Division (other than Arabic)................................................................................................. 11 V/4 : Work performed by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names and its future activities.............................................. 12 V/10 : Co-operation with the Pan American Institute of Geography and History . 12 VI/1 : Creation of an Africa South Division, a Baltic Division and an Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division .............................................. 13 VI/2 : Reactivation of the Latin America Division................................................ 13 VI/3 : Statement of the aims and functions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names ................................................................. 13 VI/4 : Working Group on Evaluation .................................................................... 14 VI/5 : Working Group on Publicity and Funding.................................................. 15 VI/12 : Liaison with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.................... 15 VII/1 : Creation of a French-speaking Division...................................................... 16 VII/2 : Eighth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names and twentieth session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names%........................................................... 16 VII/7 : Cooperation and agreements with consumer enterprises ............................ 17 VII/10 : Support ........................................................................................................ 17 VII/13 : Liaison with the International Organization for Standardization ................ 18 - iii - VII/14 : Access to and archiving of technical papers................................................ 18 3. INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE STANDARDIZATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES II/31 : A common understanding of the aims and objects of the international standardization of geographical names ....................................................... 19 II/33 : International co-operation in the standardization of geographical names... 20 IV/2 : Acceleration of work on standardization of geographical names................ 20 V/6 : Promotion of national and international geographical names standardization programmes........................................................................ 21 VI/8 : Information from countries regarding changes in geographical names....... 21 4. TOPONYMIC GUIDELINES FOR MAP AND OTHER EDITORS IV/4 : Publication of toponymic guidelines for map and other editors.................. 21 V/11 : Differentiation of toponyms from other map text ....................................... 22 V/14 : Publication of toponymic guidelines........................................................... 23 VI/7 : Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors........................................ 23 5. NATIONAL STANDARDIZATION I/4 : National standardization.............................................................................. 24 II/27 : Assistance for programmes of field collection of names and of office treatment of names ...................................................................................... 28 II/32 : Dissemination of decisions by national authorities..................................... 28 III/4 : Reliability statement on geographical names in documents........................ 28 III/16 : National standardization.............................................................................. 29 V/12 : Collection of basic information on the national standardization of geographical names ....................................................................................